MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Gov. Robert Bentley's request that Alabama State University halt its search for a new president to address a forensic auditor's allegations of financial waste, conflicts of interest and possible fraud at the school isn't enough for school officials.

The university filed a notice with the Alabama Secretary of State this morning scheduling an additional meeting in the search for a president to replace Joseph Silver, whom the school paid $685,000 to resign after just 13 weeks on the job.

These signs were posted on the Alabama State University and other parts of Montgomery overnight or early this morning following the release of a 38-page forensic audit report alleging fraud and other wrongdoing by ASU trustees. (Erin Edgemon/eedgemon@al.com)

"The presidential search committee process is ongoing," said university spokesman Kenneth Mullinax.

In reaction, Bentley's communications director, Jeremy King, said the governor's request was not mandatory, but Bentley could call a special meeting of ASU's board of trustees.

"The preliminary report from the auditor raised very serious concerns, and we believe the work of the search committee should be put on hold until those matters can be discussed by the full board," he said.

The governor, who underwent minor surgery this morning, has not yet called an ASU trustee meeting, but King said he is expected to do so soon.

The governor's office released Monday a preliminary report from forensic auditor Forensic Strategic Solutions, which was tasked with investigating Silver's claims that he had been curbed for questioning suspicious contracts at the school.

The the 38-page report
alleges ASU attempted to thwart and hamper the audit and that Trustee Marvin
Wiggins, former Trustee Lawrence "Larry" Lemak and Trustee Elton Dean
all had relatives who improperly received thousands of dollars from the
school.

It further alleges financial mismanagement of a Medicaid contract that
ended up costing the university more than $1 million and involved gaming
lobbyist Greg Jones and other problems at the school that warrant
further investigation.

King said the governor's office has furnished information from the report the the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Alabama Attorney General's office.

A spokeswoman for the AG said today they could neither confirm nor deny receipt of that information nor whether any investigation is being conducted as a result.